“The lilacs are in bloom!” I said as we pulled into the driveway. My husband rolled to a stop in front of the burst of purple blossoms. He smiled knowingly. From the back seat came a chorus of confusion:“Why did we stop?”“What’s going on?”And then, as realization set in, one of the boys said, “Oh… it’s mom’s flowers.” We paused there for just a few seconds, then continued down the long driveway and into the garage. As I walked from the garage to the house, I noticed how light and hopeful I suddenly felt—especially compared to earlier in the day. Lately, the days and weeks have felt heavy. Hard. Sluggish. This particular week had been full of worries and an overloaded schedule. The daily grind can feel like reliving the same day over and over, without getting anywhere. But the lilacs are in bloom. It’s a reminder that we are moving forward. The days are changing. We are going somewhere. Lilacs, for me, carry the weight of memory. They remind me of the generations that came before, and the ones still to come. We’re all connected. Each of us trudging through similar day-to-day struggles—and somehow, we keep going. Just like my lilac-loving grandma, who weathered her share of life’s storms, so will I. Sometimes, all it takes is to literally stop and smell the roses.Or in my case… the lilacs. Mental Wellness Reflection:It’s easy to get lost in the rhythm of responsibility—days blurring together under the weight of stress, caregiving, deadlines, or simply trying to stay afloat. But moments of pause, like noticing flowers in bloom, can ground us in the present and remind us of something essential: change is happening, even if we can’t always see it. This week, take a moment to look for your own “lilacs”—a sign of movement, of growth, of beauty quietly unfolding. These small pauses can reconnect us to ourselves and to the bigger picture. You’re not stuck. You’re becoming.